This invention relates to helmets.
Riding helmets have long been employed to prevent or reduce head injuries to horse riders. Riding helmets typically comprise a hard outer shell that provides structural stability and resistance to physical impact, and a softer lining. This lining makes the helmet more comfortable for the wearer, whilst also cushioning the wearer against impacts to the outer shell of the helmet.
Riding helmets are normally fitted with a fastening strap that holds the helmet in place upon the head of the wearer, preventing the helmet being accidentally dislodged. These straps pass between points of attachment on the helmet and under the chin of the wearer.
In order that the strap may be stably secured to the helmet it is normal for the strap to be anchored to the hard outer shell, since this is the part of the helmet most able to resist deformation.
Given that the outer shell is spaced from the side of the wearer""s head by the thickness of the lining, if the strap is simply secured to the inner surface of the outer shell by, for example, a rivet the strap cannot lie flat against the wearer""s head adjacent the lower edge of the helmet lining. Thus a triangular space is defined beneath the lower edge of the lining, the side of the wearer""s head and the strap. This represents a hazard as a tree branch, for example, could become hooked beneath the strap if by chance the branch passed through the triangular space. If a tree branch did become hooked beneath the strap the wearer would be exposed to the risk of severe injury.
The above problem has been appreciated in the past and has been addressed by producing helmets in which the straps extend from their points of attachment on the outer shell and through the lining such that the strap extends around the wearer""s head from the inner side of the lower edge of the lining. The strap then lies flat adjacent the wearer""s head, reducing the risk of the strap becoming hooked on, for example, a tree branch.
Unfortunately, such an arrangement is relatively complicated and is difficult to manufacture, as the strap cannot be attached to the outer shell before addition of the lining.
According to the present invention there is provided a helmet having an outer shell defining an inwardly facing surface extending to an edge of the shell, a lining defining an outer surface facing the inwardly facing surface of the shell, an inner surface which in use faces the head of a person wearing the helmet, and an edge surface extending between the inner and outer surfaces of the lining adjacent the edge of the shell, a strap secured to the outer shell and extending from between the inwardly facing surface of the outer shell and the outer surface of the lining, and means for releasably attaching a portion of the strap immediately adjacent the lining to the edge surface of the lining, such that the strap adjacent the shell edge is pulled towards the head of the wearer.
A helmet according to the invention confers upon its wearer the advantage that it greatly reduces the risk of the strap becoming snagged on passing obstacles. Thus there is a reduced risk of injury to the rider. This advantage arises because the profile of the strap is induced to conform better to the shape of the wearer""s face. As a result of this the gap between the wearer""s face and the strap is reduced and hence there is a smaller area into which objects may become inserted and entangled.
Suitable means for attaching the strap to the edge surface of the lining according to the invention include fastenings such as hook and loop fastenings and press-stud fastenings. The use of releasable attaching means ensures that, should the strap become entangled with another object, and cause the detachment of the strap from the lining of the helmet, the strap may simply be brought back into engagement with the lining without requiring repair of the helmet.
The outer shell and lining of the helmet may cover the entire outer surface of the lining, or alternatively the shell and lining may be somewhat differently sized. For example the lining of the helmet may protrude from beneath the outer shell by a distance of approximately 30 mm.